TFL Vsebine / Revija Javna uprava

Danes po svetu še vedno obstaja nemalo (post-)kolonialnih narodov in nesamoupravnih ozemelj, ki še niso imeli priložnosti izvršiti pravice do samoodločbe, ki jim pripada po mednarodnem pravu. Posledice kolonializma in nedokončana dekolonizacija so tako še vedno izziv za mednarodno skupnost. Nekatere zgodbe dekolonizacije uživajo več pozornosti kot druge, o nekaterih se sploh ne razpravlja, na primer o zgodbi Zahodne Papue na otoku Nova Gvineja. Avtor obravnava primer Zahodne Sahare in avtohtonega prebivalstva tega ozemlja – ljudstva Sahrawi, ki že desetletja čaka na priložnost za samoodločbo. V večini Zahodne Sahare namreč vse od leta 1975 oblast izvaja Maroko, ki jasno izraža namero aneksirati še večji del tega ozemlja kot doslej. S primerom Za- hodne Sahare se je ukvarjalo tudi Sodišče EU v svoji sodni praksi. Nedavno, 4. oktobra 2024, je Sodišče EU odločilo, da je ljudstvo Sahrawi edini nosilec pravice do samoodločbe na tem ozemlju, zunanje delovanje EU v razmerju do Maroka in Zahodne Sahare pa mora to upoštevati, če želi EU ravnati v skladu z mednarodnim pravom, ki jo zavezuje. Avtor analizira omenjeno sodbo z vidika načina, kako Sodišče EU razlaga pravico narodov do samoodločbe v primeru Zahodne Sahare in ugotavlja, ali partikularna situacija na območju Zahodne Sahare vpliva na razlogovanje Sodišča EU.

Today, numerous (post-)colonial peoples and non-self-governing territories around the world have yet to exercise their right to self-determination under international law. The consequences of colonialism and the unfinished process of decolonisation continue to pose a challenge to the international community. Some stories of decolonisation attract considerable attention, while others remain largely ignored—for instance, the case of West Papua on the island of New Guinea. The author focuses on Western Sahara and its indigenous peo- ple, the Sahrawi people, who have been awaiting an opportunity for self-de- termination for decades. Since 1975, most of Western Sahara has been under Moroccan control, with Morocco demonstrating a clear intention to annex even more of its territory. The case of Western Sahara has also been considered by the Court of Justice of the EU in its case law. Most recently, on 4 October 2024, the Court ruled that the Sahrawi people are the only people entitled to self-determination in this territory, and the EU’s external action towards Morocco and Western Sahara must take this into account if the EU is to comply with international law. The author analyses the above-mentioned judgment of the Court from the perspective of how the Court interprets the right of peoples to self-determination in the case of Western Sahara. Additionally, the article examines whether the particular situation in the territory of Western Sahara has an impact on the Court’s reasoning.

Morocco, the European Union and Western Sahara: Decolonisation before the Court of Justice of the EU